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FONO '07: Safe sex for Pacific people

Fri 3 Aug 2007 In: New Zealand Daily News

Registrations have now opened for LOVE LIFE 2, the Sexual Minority Groups of Pacific Peoples FONO 2007. Organised by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation's Pacific Peoples Project with generous support from other community organisations such as Te Aronga Hou Inaianei, the fono is aimed at promoting a safe sex culture within "third sex" sexual minority communities of the South Pacific, who are at high risk of contracting HIV. These communities go under a variety of different names: Fa'afafine (Samoa), Mahu (Hawaii), Fakaleiti (Tonga), Takataapui (Aotearoa), ‘Akava'ine (Cook Is), Vaka sa lewa lewa (Fiji), Rae rae (Tahiti) and Fafafine (Niue). "We want to bring leaders and groups within these communities together to share their concerns about HIV and AIDS, and provide a safe environment to discuss health and wellbeing issues," says Phylesha Brown-Acton of the Pacific Peoples Project, who is herself Fafafine. The first Love Life fono was held in October 2005, in recognition of the fact that there is little official support in place to cater for the unique needs of "third sex" communities. "Our communities were an accepted part of Pacific life and culture prior to Western colonisation, but have been subject to much stigma and discrimination in more recent times," Brown-Acton says. Likely to be high on the agenda is the relationship between "third sex" communities and churches in the Pacific region, following a high profile meeting last month in Apia between Samoa's National Council of Churches and the Fa'afafine Association to discuss HIV/AIDS-related issues. “We are already hearing from other ‘third sex' communities in the Pacific inquiring how similar steps forward can be taken in their own countries,” Brown-Acton says. “The influence of churches in the Pacific is very strong, and has a very real effect on the wellbeing of our communities.” The fono will be held October 18-21 at Makaurau Marae in Mangere, Auckland. Registration costs $25 (waged) and $15 (unwaged). Registration forms are available on the NZAF website or by contacting fono co-ordinators Phylesha Brown-Acton in Auckland (09) 300 6963 or Silipa Take in Wellington (04) 381 6640.     Ref: NZAF (Press Release)

Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff

First published: Friday, 3rd August 2007 - 5:21pm

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